This is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/788,727 filed Feb. 19, 2001, now abandoned.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to security packages used in retail sales of DVD's and the like to deter tampering with or removal of the package and its contents.
1. Description of the Related Art
DVD's and like products are currently offered in movie studio packaging and then shrink wrapped to secure the contents against tampering in stores.
Unfortunately people have been entering stores, slitting or discarding the shrink-wrap, removing the media contents of the package and then replacing the empty package on shelf. When a customer later selects the product and does not notice the shrink-wrap is slit or missing, they may purchase the item and take it home only to discover the media is missing.
The stores are subsequently embarrassed when they learn from an irate customer that they have sold an empty DVD package and that store personnel failed to notice the package had been tampered with.
Store shelving displays for DVD's and like products are built to mirror the studio package size of the DVD's, resulting in the fact that there is not much additional room on the shelves for surrounding the DVD with a security package.
Current security packages, in addition to being much larger than the DVD product, are expensive and require intensive amounts of labor to install the product in the security package at the store and to remove the DVD from the security package at the checkout, so that the security package can be reused. Existing security packages may also interfere with the visibility of DVD program description the customer wants to read on the package.
Security packages frequently totally surround the DVD or other product using a substantial amount of expensive material designed to prevent any unauthorized access to the product.
The cost of prior art security packages has been high due to high material component costs and the volume of material required to inhibit media theft. Due to these design constraints, current DVD type security packages must be repeatedly applied and then removed at check out so that the customer can take the product home unencumbered by the security packaging.